Shoe toe box



June 212, 1948. c053 2,443,725

4 SHOE TOE BOX Filed Feb. 19, 1946 Patented June 22, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in shoes. One object is to provide a shoe having a modified toe box. More specifically the invention provides a shoe that when fitted to the foot or worn will not wrinkle in a number of places in the vamp just rearwardly of the toe box. The conventional toe box becomes wrinkled and formed with broken lines or creases when worn or even after having been tried on before it leaves the store. This detracts from the appearance of the shoe, lessening its eye appeal, often causing material foot discomfort, and frequently actually preventing its sale to discriminating purchasers. In such cases the retailer must absorb the loss. It is an object of this invention to eliminate this liability.

A further object is to provide a shoe that will maintain its dressy appearance all during its period of service, that will protect the foot of the wearer and not pinch or cramp the same in use, that is readily built into a shoe at no additional cost, additional labor or expenditure of material. Other objects, novel features and advantages of arrangement, construction and design comprehended by the invention are hereinafter fully pointed out or made apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank of material embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a right shoe partially in section and partially in elevational perspective includin the instant invention, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the shoe shown in Fig. 2 partly in plan and partly in section, a portion of the foot of a person being denoted in dotted lines.

The instant invention consists in forming the conventional toe box of the shoe with a preferably tapered'tongue extending rearwardly and centrally from the upper transverse rear edge of the box, and with a laterally disposed ear formed upon one side only of the box and extending upwardly from the sole, to which it is secured, and slightly transversely of the rear edge of the box but spaced materially from said tongue, said ear and tongue extending substantially equal distances rearwardly from the rear edge of the toe box.

The toe box in this instance is formed of the same stifi leather or like material ordinarily used and serves the same purpose while also performing the additional function of so supporting the vamp of the shoe rearwardly of the toe as to prevent the formation of a plurality of wrinkles in this soft vamp portion ordinarily resulting when the shoe Vamp is flexed as by walking. The use of this improved toe box will permit the formation of a single oblique crease running substantially parallel to the toe line, this imaginary line connecting the toes of the foot of the wearer.

The reference numeral i denotes the outer sole of a shoe and 2 th toe portion of the Vamp 3. This toe portion consists of the top or dress leather or layer 5 and the toe box 4 with certain immaterial lining strips not here taken into account. The box 4 terminates rearwardly at the edge 6 which centrally of its topmost or arched portion is formed with the rearwardl extending tapered tongue 1 and spaced therefrom to one side of the shoe with the ear 9 that extends upwardly from the sole I and slightly inwardly or toward said tongue I from which it is materially spaced. The ear 9 of a right shoe is disposed upon the left side thereof While the ear 9 of a left shoe is disposed upon the right side, the space between said members being immediately above the joint position of the great toe of the wearer and Very slightly therebeyond laterally while the position of tongue 1 is substantially above the position of the joint of the next toe and slightly over that of the toe joint second from the great toe.

A box 4 for a right shoe is made from a blank identical with that for a left shoe but curved or arched from a reversed position of the blank. The box 4 with tongue 1 and ear 9 provides a support for the vamp that, as the shoe is flexed, permits a crease in a single line substantially parallel to the toe line 8, Fig. 3, while formation of wrinkles in the vam is avoided.

What is claimed is:

In a shoe including a sole and a vamp, a toe box, an ear integral with said toe box and extending rearwardly from one lateral termination thereof and downwardly and secured to the shoe sole, and a tapered tongue disposed centrally of the rear edge of said toe box and extending rearwardly a distance commensurate with that of said ear, said ear and tongue being spaced apart and terminating rearwardly beyond the position occupied by the joint of the great toe of the wearer.

JOHN LYNCH COBB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 200,566 Partridge Feb, 19, 1878 444,703 Jorden Jan. 13, 1891 1,726,057 Cardamone Aug. 27, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,326 Germany July 25, 1883 

